FAQ (English)

Why should I pay on time ?

After the final deadline, sent by post after the first deadline, no re-enrollment will be possible for the current semester or year. Additionally, any request for re-enrollment for the following semester/year will be submitted to the Faculty/Institute/Centre. In the event that approval is granted, a payment of CHF 50 will be due, in accordance with the internal regulations on fees, in addition to the fees due the past semester.

> Please take careful note of the payment deadline indicated in the e-mail message sent in late July (for the following autumn semester) / early February (for the following spring semester), on the BVR payment slip sent via postal mail, or via your UNIGE portal > Mon UNIGE > paiement des taxes semestrielles.

Paying the full amount of the fees due grants you access to the examination session you will need to successfully complete the semester and/or receive your diploma.

How do i pay my semester fees ?

There are three ways to pay your fees:

Payment by e-banking, from a Swiss bank account

In a post office in Switzerland: duplicate the information received by email before the beginning of the semester, or on the BVR payment slip received by postal mail. If you have lost your email or BVR, request your reference number online admissions.unige.ch (log in using your UNIGE email address or login name + password on the left) then ask your question. You can also come to the Admissions Office to obtain a new number (Uni Dufour, opening hours).

Please also pay all transfer fees, which are fees assessed by your bank or the post office as well as those of the recipient.

Why should I pay my fees in the 15 days following reception of the email with the banking details ?

You will rapidly gain access to your semester attestation (needed, for example, for requesting student benefits) and you will be able to validate your student ID card in a UNIGE terminal. Please allow around 10 days from the date of payment for your semester attestation to become available on your UNIGE portal. If you submit a payment and a BVR is sent by post in the following weeks, you can ignore the BVR unless the amount due is different. You even contribute to reducing paper waste and postal fees!

What happens if I don’t pay within 15 days ?

A paper payment slip (BVR) will be sent to you via postal mail if you have not paid your fees within the two weeks following the email. Please note that the BVR is sent using second-class mail to the last known address. If your mailing address has changed, please update it as soon as possible on the UNIGE portal > Mon UNIGE > Données de contact étudiant. Make sure you receive your BVR in mid-September (Autumn semester) or mid-March (Spring semester).

I am not in Geneva and I need a BVR payment slip. Can someone else come pick it up for me ?

Because of identity protection concerns, we are not able to give a BVR payment slip (which is de facto proof of UNIGE student status) to a third party. This includes your parents if you are a legal adult. If you are unable to pay your fees through e-Banking, you can authorize a third party to make payment on your behalf by providing them written authorization and a copy of your identity document. The third party will also be required to present his or her own identity document.

How can I find out if my payment has gone through? What should I do if it has not gone through ?

If you have paid your fees but still encounter a problem, please submit proof of payment (a debit confirmation from your account, or the BVR payment slip receipt stamped at the post office) via our online platform (admissions.unige.ch). You will need to log in with your UNIGE credentials, then select “taxes”.

If you have requested fee relief, you still need to pay the fixed fees (CHF 65) to avoid exmatriculation for non-payment. Reminder: fee relief only applies to the administrative fees of CHF 435. The fixed fees (CHF 65) are due in all cases.

How can I be sure that the email with personal data for payment of fees really comes from UNIGE, and that it is not "phishing" ?

The BVR is tied to the Postal account (CCP) of the University of Geneva. When you are entering your e-banking payment, ‘Université de Genève’ should appear as the recipient. To verify the general payment details (including the UNIGE Postal account), you can visit a secure page on the Internet, also accessible from your UNIGE portal.

Is the amount of fees due correct ?

Any reductions you are entitled to by your status (e.g., leave of absence, internship, doctoral studies, etc.) will be automatically applied to the amount due.

Requests for fee relief due to financial difficulties must be submitted between middle and late September to the Pôle santé social. If you have requested fee relief, you still need to pay the fixed fees (CHF 65) to avoid exmatriculation for non-payment. Reminder: fee relief only applies to the administrative fees of CHF 435. The fixed fees (CHF 65) are due in all cases.

Did you receive a BVR payment slip in the amount of 65 francs? That does not necessarily mean that you have been granted fee relief for the administrative fees of CHF 435. The CHF 65 due is provisionally established before fee relief requests have been definitively ruled upon. If your request for fee relief is rejected, you will be sent an additional BVR for the remaining CHF 435 due.

I am not taking classes this semester, and the only requirement left is finishing my thesis. Do I have to pay full fees ?

Yes. The administrative fees of CHF 500 are due in all cases unless otherwise specified in Article 77.2 of the University of Geneva Statutes (e.g., leaves of absence or internships). Therefore, you are ineligible for a waiver of University fees because you do not meet any of the applicable criteria.

Paying the full amount of the fees due grants you access to the examination session you will need to successfully complete the semester and/or receive your diploma.

How can I pay from a foreign bank account ?

Be sure to indicate in the ‘communication’ field your name (the student’s name) and your student number (in the format XX-XXX-XXX). This is printed on your student ID card, and is also in the email you received with payment information.

You are responsible for all transfer fees, which are fees assessed by your bank or the post office as well as those of the recipient.

What if I want to definitively leave the University ?

Inform the Admissions Office as soon as possible via the online platform admissions.unige.ch. Log in using your UNIGE email address or your login name + password, then ask your question. You can also visit the Admissions Office (Uni Dufour, opening hours).

- If you exmatriculate before the beginning of the semester, no fees are due.- If you request exmatriculation in the six weeks following the official start date of courses, only the fixed fees of CHF 65 are due.- After that, you will owe CHF 500 in fees to the University.

If these fees are not paid, they constitute a debt to the University that will be owed if studies are restarted in the future. Additionally, a payment of CHF 50 is assessed for re-enrollment with a debt.

I have finished my studies. What do I need to do ?

No action on your part is required unless you have registered for another program. If you receive a payment slip for fees, you can ignore it. Successfully earning your diploma generates automatic exmatriculation within a few weeks. You will receive confirmation via postal mail.

I have been eliminated, or am waiting for my semester results and expect to be eliminated from my Faculty / Institute. I have received the BVR payment slip for paying my fees. What should I do?

If you have been eliminated and wish to appeal that decision (or if you have already filed an appeal), you should not pay the fees for the upcoming semester, but instead wait for the appeals decision to be made. If your appeal is successful, you will be able to pay your semester fees using the BVR payment slip you have already received.

If you are waiting for your results and might be facing elimination, wait until you are sure you will be able to continue your studies next semester before paying your fees.

I have moved. How can I provide you with my new address ?

I have received several payment slips this semester. Which one should I pay ?

Only the one with the most recent date (‘Genève, le’) is to be paid.

How do I obtain proof that I have paid my semester fees ?

If you paid with a paper BVR payment slip, use the stamped receipt.

If you paid through e-Banking, use the debit notification from your bank / debit advice.

If these documents are not acceptable, or if you need an attestation covering multiple semesters, you can request a personalized attestation on our online platform admissions.unige.ch (then log in with your UNIGE credentials). This service costs CHF 15.

How can I get a reimbursement ?

If you paid too much, or if your request for administrative fee (CHF 435.-) relief has been accepted, you can request the reimbursement of administrative fees on the platform admissions.unige.ch by logging in on the left using your UNIGE credentials, then selecting the ‘taxes’ tab. In the body of your message, be sure to specify your complete banking details: